Mapfre en Dongfeng blijven elkaar op de hielen zitten, visueel elkaar in de gaten houden en soms even stuivertje wisselen.
Halfway through Leg 3 Dongfeng Race Team and MAPFRE were separated by less than 5 miles on the 0700 UTC position report, having swapped the lead back and forth and back again overnight.
It's incredibly close racing, playing out in some of the most remote waters on the planet.
“It’s been a tough 12, 24, 36 hours, gybing along the ice gates,” said MAPFRE's Blair Tuke. “Everyone’s needing a bit more sleep, but we’ve been making good gains on Dongfeng, so we’re pushing hard.”
"We are wet, tired and hungry, all of us," agreed 'Chuny' Bermudez. "The good thing in having Dongfeng close by is that you know immediately if you're making a gain or not."
At one point overnight (UTC), MAPFRE crossed ahead of their rivals, before falling back slightly on the latest report. But it's very close.
"We had a very exciting and busy times over the last day, throwing lots of gybes in visual sight of DFRT, and including very close crosses," wrote MAPFRE navigator Juan Vila.
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